Kurds celebrate vote as neighbours watch

Jubilant Iraqi Kurds on Monday celebrated their vote on independence from Iraq, shooting off fireworks and parading flags, while Turkey and Iran conducted military exercises on the region’s borders.

While officials said the vote would not be tabulated until at least Tuesday, it was expected to be overwhelmingly in favour of independence for Iraqi Kurdistan, the semiautonomous region in northern Iraq.

Iraqi officials have called the referendum unconstitutional and vowed to ignore the results.